Half of the security features of the new Rs 2,000 notes have been successfully replicated by counterfeiters, according to a media report.

A report in The Hindu says that consignments of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) seized on the Bangladesh border have revealed that more than half of the 17 RBI-listed security features have been replicated.

The Border Security Force (BSF) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seized four consignments of Rs. 2000 notes between December 2016 and January this year from areas near Malda district.

A genuine currency has 13 features on the front or obverse side including two for visually impaired and four on the reverse.

According to the report, the samples show that the four features on the reverse side, a motif of Chandrayaan, language panel, Swachh Bharat logo and year of printing, have been copied.

On the obverse, the see-through area, denominational numeral in Devnagari, guarantee clause with RBI Governor’s signature, and water mark are replicated.

“The notes have copied the geometric patterns and the colour scheme both on obverse and the reverse side including watermark, and the exclusive number pattern of the Rs. 2000 currency. Unlike samples seized elsewhere which were scanned or colour photocopies, these have been printed using sophisticated dyes,” The Hindu quoted a senior security officer as saying.

The fake currencies, however, do not match on paper quality and quality of the dye.